This lentil salad is the reason I always have a bag of French lentils on hand. They cook in about 25 minutes, then tossed with wilted spinach, crumbled goat cheese, and a sharp Dijon vinaigrette that soaks into every lentil while they’re still warm.

A bowl of lentil salad featuring spinach leaves, chopped carrots, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh herbs sits on a light textured surface.

French green lentils have a way of making even the simplest preparation feel a bit fancy. The classic bistro treatment involves cooked lentils, sharp Dijon vinaigrette, and a handful of herbs — one of those dishes that asks very little of you. This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz, the Paris-based cookbook author whose instincts about French food I’ve always trusted completely.

Goat cheese is the addition that earns this salad a place at the dinner table, rather than just the lunch box. Soft and tangy, it’s the counterpoint the earthy lentils need. Baby spinach goes in at the same time — the warm lentils wilt it just enough to make the whole thing feel like a proper salad.

About French lentils

A speckled ceramic bowl filled with small, round, dark-colored lentils—perfect for a hearty lentil salad—sits on a light, textured surface.
  • French lentils: Sometimes called Le Puy or lentilles du puy, are different from the common brown or green lentils that cook down to a soft, starchy mush. They’re small, slate-green, and firm enough to hold their shape through cooking and dressing, which is exactly what you need for a salad. True Le Puy lentils are grown in the volcanic soil of the Auvergne region in France and carry an AOC designation. The domestic variety, grown in North America, is the same cultivar and cooks identically. Either works — the imported ones just cost more.

Before you start cooking

A bowl filled with diced vegetables, including orange carrots, green celery, and red onions, sits on a light gray surface—perfect ingredients for a fresh lentil salad.
  • Unlike dried beans, French lentils don’t need soaking — just rinse them, drop them into well-salted boiling water, and they’re ready in about 25 minutes. The time will vary slightly depending on how old they are, so taste-test as they cook.
  • A classic mirepoix, a combination of small-diced carrot, celery, and onion — goes into the pot partway through cooking. This step gives the salad depth, keeping it firmly in a French bistro rather than wandering into hippie grain-bowl territory. The bay leaf and thyme sprigs are worth adding too, but pull them out before serving.
  • Dress the lentils while they’re still warm. This isn’t optional — hot lentils absorb vinaigrette in a way that cold ones simply don’t, and the difference in flavor is significant.

More ideas:

French green lentils are just as good in a warm bowl as they are in a salad — try them in this homemade lentil soup. Or swap in black lentils for a different take: Black lentil salad with feta uses the same basic approach, only I add a Mediterranean spin.

A bowl of lentil salad featuring spinach leaves, chopped carrots, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh herbs sits on a light textured surface.
4.89 from 17 ratings

French Lentil Salad with Goat Cheese

Karen Tedesco
This 30-minute lentil salad recipe is made with green lentils, feta or goat cheese, and spinach, blended in a tangy homemade Dijon vinaigrette dressing. Serve it warm or at room temperature as a meatless meal or side dish.
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Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
 

Dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

  • 2 cups French green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 large thyme sprigs
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • ½ red onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
  • ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
  • 2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
  • ½ cup goat cheese , or crumbled feta
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts, optional

Instructions
 

Make the dressing

  1. Combine the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Let sit 5 minutes to dissolve the salt, then whisk in the olive oil until blended. Another option is to put all the ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously until blended.

Prepare the lentil salad

  1. Put the lentils, bay leaf and thyme sprigs in a 4-6 quart pot  and cover generously with water and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.
  2. Add the carrots, celery and onion to the lentils and continue cooking 5-10 minutes, until the lentils are tender. They will have absorbed most, but not all of the liquid.
  3. Drain the lentils and transfer back to the pot or to a serving bowl. Pluck out the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and discard. Pour the dressing over and stir to coat. Add the parsley and spinach and stir through.
  4. Sprinkle the cheese and walnuts over the salad and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • Serve the salad warm or at room temperature. It keeps beautifully refrigerated for up to 4 days. Bring the salad to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.
Recipe adapted from My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 393kcal Carbohydrates: 44g Protein: 22g Fat: 15g Sodium: 139mg Fiber: 21g Sugar: 3g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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